Arsenal’s worst fears were confirmed on Thursday night as Manchester City took full advantage of the Gunners’ first real slip-up in the title race. The goalless draw with Newcastle United at the Emirates opened the door for the reigning champions to narrow the deficit at the Premier Leagues summit from seven points to five. The Blues had to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in order to do that, and that’s exactly what Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut did. Riyad Mahrez’s second-half strike gave the Etihad outfit the three points they needed, and their hunt of the table-topping Gunners has officially begun.
Following City’s victory in London, OddsChecker, which compares Premier League odds and offers, has slashed the odds on the champions winning a fifth title in six years come May. As things stand, Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners are the only ones that can stop them. But with star striker, Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines and with a tough month ahead of them, can the North London club regain the momentum lost in the stalemate against Eddie Howe’s Magpies?
Arsenal’s next month
The next test for Mikel Arteta’s side is a welcome break from Premier League action. They travel to third-tier Oxford United in the third round of the FA Cup, which represents the perfect chance for attackers Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli to find their shooting boots. And they will need to.
Following that test, the real work begins. The Gunners will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 15th to contest the North London derby. Arsenal will be aiming to do the double over their greatest rivals for the first time in a decade.
Things don’t get any easier in the weeks following the derby, with Manchester United visiting the Emirates the following weekend. The Gunners then face a trip north to face out-of-sorts Everton, before hosting Brentford at the Emirates. The Bees have picked up impressive results against all of the traditional ‘Big Six’ this season except Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta will be hoping that remains the case in four weeks’ time.
Arsenal’s difficult month culminates with Manchester City’s trip to the Emirates on February 15th in what may well turn out to be a genuine six-pointer. Should the Gunners avoid defeat against the Blues, they may still hold a slender advantage at the top flight’s summit as the season enters its final third. Should City prevail, then they may well be unstoppable in their attempts at capturing yet another Premier League title.
What about City’s next month?
The good news for Arsenal fans is that Manchester City’s next month doesn’t look any easier than that of their title rivals. Their tough spell has gotten off to the perfect start, however, and the victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will give them confidence heading into the next few weeks.
City will contest the Manchester derby on January 14th when a rejuvenated Manchester United visit the Etihad Stadium. Then they will host Spurs the following weekend. On paper, that may seem like an easy three points for the hosts, but Tottenham always perform at their very best when they travel to the champions, and victory is by no means guaranteed.
That fixture will then be reversed just a fortnight later, with City visiting North London. Arsenal will be cheering for their greatest rivals twice in two weeks, and they will be praying that they can do them the biggest of favours.
Sandwiched in between those tests should be comfortable victories over West Midlands duo Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa, with the month rounding off at the Emirates for a date with destiny on February 15th.
There can be no denying that the next month is pivotal for both of this year’s championship protagonists. Both teams have difficult fixtures ahead of them, and whichever team navigates these rocky tides the best will take a huge leap toward having their hands raised as champions at the end of the season.
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